Crossfire by Lynette Eason: Book Review

 **I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All thoughts are my own. 

FBI special agent Julianna Jameson is a top-notch negotiator who has never lost a hostage. Surely she can manage to take care of her much younger sister, Dottie, who showed up unannounced to live with Julianna while she finished her senior year of high school.

A former sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Clay Fox left the army after a tragic incident that he can't get past. Now he's working as a high school resource officer until he can figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

Their paths cross when Julianna is called in to negotiate a courtroom hostage situation involving Clay's sister. Impressed and a bit intimidated by the calm, capable woman with the dark hair and blue eyes, Clay invites her to speak at his school. Dottie's school.

But as the anniversary of a school shooting from Julianna's past approaches, it becomes clear that her perfect record is about to be tested and that Dottie is at risk. If Julianna and Clay can't figure out who's behind the attacks, more innocent people will die--and Dottie is next in line.

This intense story of revenge and redemption from bestselling author and master of suspense Lynette Eason will have you up all night as you race toward the explosive finish.

Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Life Flight and Crossfire, as well asthe Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

Crossfire is the second book in the Extreme Measures series. While you will definitely see some familiar characters making an appearance from book one, I do believe this could be read just fine as a standalone. 

In the first book, we were introduced to a group of friends who met when they were younger through their troubled pasts. The experience bonded them, and they remain close. Each book in this series focusses on one of these women. This one focuses on Julianna, a hostage negotiator for the FBI. 

Right from the start, this one was packed with action. Lynette does a great job of giving us just enough information throughout and throwing in surprises that take you for a loop. This one definitely had those twists and turns... right when it seemed like the book was coming to an end, something else would happen to keep me guessing. We were given the perspective of several characters, including the villain in the story, which certainly helped to keep things interesting too. There was one POV that we were given that took me a bit to figure out where they fit into the story, and as such I wasn't sure abut the inclusion. Once everything was all tied up, I found that this character really helped to drive home the idea of forgiveness. 

This story did deal with school shootings, and I did find parts of that a little difficult to read... but it was a fantastic story nonetheless. I look forward to seeing what happens next in the series!